In the clash of the clubs from the banks of the Mersey and the Clyde, the real winner was Trent. The under pressure right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold, set Liverpool on a path to victory they were expected to get. Perhaps he effected a swift transformation from scapegoat to top dog and certainly his celebration of a cathartic goal had an air of vindication.
Whether his brilliant free kick was an eloquent response to criticism or simply a demonstration of the gifts that make him a unique right-back, it brought him respite on an evening that ended not with another inquest, but a standing ovation.
For Liverpool, too, it was a restorative affair with Mohamed Salah adding a second with nonchalant ease. A continental campaign that began with the nadir of their worst performance under Jurgen Klopp now looks on course to conclude somewhere in the knockout stages. Napoli’s win over Ajax helps position Liverpool to qualify, if not win Group A, and they can plan for the return trip to Ibrox next week in greater need of points in the Premier League then the Champions League.
Relive the action from the Champions League as Liverpool defeated Rangers at Anfield:
